Golf is a sport in which competing players—“golfers”—hit golf balls with one or more golf clubs into cups on a course. The overall goal is to position a golf ball into a cup on the course with the fewest number of hits or strokes using a golf club. The game is played on a golf course generally consisting of a specific layout and arrangement of either 9 or 18 holes. Each hole on the course includes a tee box from which the golfers start from and a putting green containing the cup or actual hole in the ground. Often times the actual hole is identified by a flag stick or “pin”. For purposes of this application, the term “target” may refer to the cup or hole and in certain instances may further include the flag stick or pin. In instances when a golfer is practicing at a driving range, the term “target” may refer to the marker or any identifying object on the range.
One important factor—maybe the only important factor to some golfers—in the game of golf is accurate alignment. Prior to hitting the golf ball, the golfer typically follows a process of standing behind the golf ball and selecting a primary aiming point—a target—to sight the target line. The target line is the line extending from the golf ball to the target, i.e. cup, hole, flag stick, pin, marker, or any identifying object. Some golfers then choose a secondary aiming point. Typically the secondary aiming point is approximately two or three feet in front of the golf ball and is positioned directly on the target line. The golfer then aims the bottom edge of the golf club head so that it is perpendicular to the target line. This process may be inconsistent between strokes of a golfer without the use of an alignment device.
While prior art alignment devices exist, they have a plethora of drawbacks. For example, some prior art alignment devices are not readily available as a retrofit to conventional golf clubs. Certain other prior art alignment devices are meant for use on the golf ball itself, which may be problematic since it is illegal in the game of golf to touch the golf ball after it has been hit (unless the golfer is on the putting green) and if a golfer is prone to losing golf balls. Yet certain other prior art alignment devices provide for marking on the golf club, but are complex and intricate such that they are complicated and time consuming to use.
There remains a need for a device that can be used with all types of golf clubs and facilitates the accurate alignment of a golf club—specifically, the head of the golf club—and body position of a golfer with a target line. Accurate alignment improves contact between the face of a golf club head and the golf ball to result in more precise strokes.